Are you installing the same version of Windows 8.1 that came on the system? You cannot install Pro if the system came with the standard version of Windows 8.
@mfalcon1. wrote:
Hello everyone I have a strange story to tell. My laptop (Inspiron 5555) got a hit 2 weeks ago, and this made the hard disk to be corrupted and I replaced it with a new one. I bought my laptop with pre-installed version of windows 8.1, so I wanted to install it back on the new had disk, so I installed OS creation tool and ran it. The tool recognised the service tag of my laptop, and then showed me the available windows 8.1 version available to download for this kind of laptops, so I downloaded it, and completed the procedure by making the a USB flash memory to be ready to install the windows Till here everything seems in order. I restarted the laptop, and the windows started setup, and suddenly.... it ASKED ME TO ENTER ACTIVATION KEY !!! which activation key???? my laptop got its key on bios, and this Dell-supported version should get it! More strangely, the step of asking for activation key is not mentioned in the steps on your OS creation tool page. more extra strangely, I got somehow my windows key from bios, and .... your version denied it and said : "The product key entered does not match any of Windows images available for installation. Please enter a different product key". May someone explain to me what is this? I need my licensed windows installation back! I
Are you installing the same version of Windows 8.1 that came on the system? You cannot install Pro if the system came with the standard version of Windows 8.
But if he is using his Service Tag #, won't Dell.com allow him to download only what came originally on the laptop?
I do not know what was the version that was pre-installed. In all cases, this is irrelevant , as the Os creation tool downloaded the supposedly correct version automatically. I did not have any intervention in what Dell Os creation tool selected. If this Windows 8.1 is chosen by Os creation tool, then it should work.
There should be a sticker on the system indicating the OS shipped with the system (though it won't have a product key on it if it's Windows 8 or 10). If it's not on the bottom of the system, and the battery is removeable, check under the battery.
When I bought the laptop I did not find such sticker anywhere, and I came here and I asked Dell support, they told me that it may be there or not, and in all cases the key of windows is in BIOS.
Actually, I am still wondering. Why the tool downloaded an OS that asks for a key? and If my system has no permission to get a windows version, then why they showed me "Windows 8.1 core" as the available version available for my laptop?
I arrived here after googling this same error issue...I downloaded the Dell OS Recovery Tool, installed it then entered my Service Tag...I was presented with only 1 option; Windows 8.1 Professional-64 Bit which I duly downloaded and then Windows burnt it to my 16 GB Thumbdrive. Downloaded the instructions how to recovery my operating system...installed the Thumbdrive in the target machine...tapped F12 till the 'one time boot' option presented itself, navigated to the Thumbdrive, clicked to boot from USB...and all went well until I was asked to enter a Product Key...WHAT PRODUCT KEY?
There is no product key, no C.O.A. on the PC, and the instructions to use the Recovery tool explicitly do not identify the need to enter a product key...how can you? There is no evidence anywhere on my PC or the paperwork I received when I bought it; that identify a unique key for my PC.
Indeed...Microsoft made a big brouhaha about the fact that the key is embedded in the BIOS from the factory...so how do any of that help me?
IT DOESN'T!!
For those disbelievers....here is a copy/paste of the Microsoft installation instructions;
Using the USB Recovery Media to Install Microsoft Windows
Installing Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows 8.1
Connect the USB drive to the Dell PC where you want to install Microsoft Windows.
Restart the PC and when the Dell logo appears, tap F12 key until you see ‘Preparing one time boot menu’ in the top-right corner of the screen.
On the boot menu, under UEFI boot, select your USB drive and press Enter.
When Windows Setup appears, select your preferences.
On the Windows Installation dialog box, click Install Now.
Review the license agreement, and select I accept the license terms.
On the ‘Which type of installation do you want?’ window, click Custom (advanced).
On the ‘Where do you want to install Windows’ window, select the largest internal disc as the Primary Partition, then click Next. If the Primary Partition shows 0GB free, select Unallocated Space and click Next.
Windows Setup automatically creates the new Windows partition, formats it, and then begins installing Windows.
The installation process will take some time and your PC may restart several times.
Great instructions and advice...now if only it would work!!
I arrived here after googling this same error issue...I downloaded the Dell OS Recovery Tool, installed it then entered my Service Tag...I was presented with only 1 option; Windows 8.1 Professional-64 Bit which I duly downloaded and then Windows burnt it to my 16 GB Thumbdrive. Downloaded the instructions how to recovery my operating system...installed the Thumbdrive in the target machine...tapped F12 till the 'one time boot' option presented itself, navigated to the Thumbdrive, clicked to boot from USB...and all went well until I was asked to enter a Product Key...WHAT PRODUCT KEY?
There is no product key, no C.O.A. on the PC, and the instructions to use the Recovery tool explicitly do not identify the need to enter a product key...how can you? There is no evidence anywhere on my PC or the paperwork I received when I bought it; that identify a unique key for my PC.
Indeed...Microsoft made a big brouhaha about the fact that the key is embedded in the BIOS from the factory...so how do any of that help me?
IT DOESN'T!!
For those disbelievers....here is a copy/paste of the Microsoft installation instructions;
Using the USB Recovery Media to Install Microsoft Windows
Installing Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows 8.1
Connect the USB drive to the Dell PC where you want to install Microsoft Windows.
Restart the PC and when the Dell logo appears, tap F12 key until you see ‘Preparing one time boot menu’ in the top-right corner of the screen.
On the boot menu, under UEFI boot, select your USB drive and press Enter.
When Windows Setup appears, select your preferences.
On the Windows Installation dialog box, click Install Now.
Review the license agreement, and select I accept the license terms.
On the ‘Which type of installation do you want?’ window, click Custom (advanced).
On the ‘Where do you want to install Windows’ window, select the largest internal disc as the Primary Partition, then click Next. If the Primary Partition shows 0GB free, select Unallocated Space and click Next.
Windows Setup automatically creates the new Windows partition, formats it, and then begins installing Windows.
The installation process will take some time and your PC may restart several times.
Great instructions and advice...now if only it would work!!
Do not waste your time @ibace . I waited for so long until some official employee in Dell to reply my justified questions here, and it has never happened. I am wondering how such things can happen, knowing that companies that care for its fame do not behave so. Actually my previous Laptop was not Dell brand, and I have never passed through such strange issues. I have some serious conclusion about why no one answered me, and according to my conclusion I know what I shall do when I buy a new Laptop. Thanks for the lesson that customer support here gave to me.
I arrived here after googling this same error issue...I downloaded the Dell OS Recovery Tool, installed it then entered my Service Tag...I was presented with only 1 option; Windows 8.1 Professional-64 Bit which I duly downloaded and then Windows burnt it to my 16 GB Thumbdrive. Downloaded the instructions how to recovery my operating system...installed the Thumbdrive in the target machine...tapped F12 till the 'one time boot' option presented itself, navigated to the Thumbdrive, clicked to boot from USB...and all went well until I was asked to enter a Product Key...WHAT PRODUCT KEY?
There is no product key, no C.O.A. on the PC, and the instructions to use the Recovery tool explicitly do not identify the need to enter a product key...how can you? There is no evidence anywhere on my PC or the paperwork I received when I bought it; that identify a unique key for my PC.
Indeed...Microsoft made a big brouhaha about the fact that the key is embedded in the BIOS from the factory...so how do any of that help me?
IT DOESN'T!!
For those disbelievers....here is a copy/paste of the Microsoft installation instructions;
Using the USB Recovery Media to Install Microsoft Windows
Installing Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows 8.1
Connect the USB drive to the Dell PC where you want to install Microsoft Windows.
Restart the PC and when the Dell logo appears, tap F12 key until you see ‘Preparing one time boot menu’ in the top-right corner of the screen.
On the boot menu, under UEFI boot, select your USB drive and press Enter.
When Windows Setup appears, select your preferences.
On the Windows Installation dialog box, click Install Now.
Review the license agreement, and select I accept the license terms.
On the ‘Which type of installation do you want?’ window, click Custom (advanced).
On the ‘Where do you want to install Windows’ window, select the largest internal disc as the Primary Partition, then click Next. If the Primary Partition shows 0GB free, select Unallocated Space and click Next.
Windows Setup automatically creates the new Windows partition, formats it, and then begins installing Windows.
The installation process will take some time and your PC may restart several times.
Great instructions and advice...now if only it would work!!
The COA aka product key is indeed embedded on the motherboard.
I bought a used Acer that had its hard drive wiped but originally had Windows 10.
Installed Windows 10 that I had downloaded from Microsoft.
Skipped entering the product key prompt.
Activated Windows 10 after Windows 10 was installed.
ejn63
10 Elder
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30.7K Posts
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September 13th, 2018 06:00
Are you installing the same version of Windows 8.1 that came on the system? You cannot install Pro if the system came with the standard version of Windows 8.
mfalcon1.
8 Posts
0
September 13th, 2018 06:00
@nyc10036
Exactly, what Dell tool has chosen, it should work.
I can not proceed in installation without a key, and I do believe the process of asking about key should not be there
nyc10036
4 Operator
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5.6K Posts
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September 13th, 2018 06:00
Go ahead and install Windows 8.1
It will activate.
nyc10036
4 Operator
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5.6K Posts
1
September 13th, 2018 06:00
But if he is using his Service Tag #, won't Dell.com allow him to download only what came originally on the laptop?
.
mfalcon1.
8 Posts
0
September 13th, 2018 06:00
no such option, setup can not proceed without activation/product key
mfalcon1.
8 Posts
0
September 13th, 2018 06:00
@ejn63
I do not know what was the version that was pre-installed. In all cases, this is irrelevant , as the Os creation tool downloaded the supposedly correct version automatically. I did not have any intervention in what Dell Os creation tool selected. If this Windows 8.1 is chosen by Os creation tool, then it should work.
ejn63
10 Elder
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30.7K Posts
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September 13th, 2018 06:00
I would not count on that being the case.
ejn63
10 Elder
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30.7K Posts
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September 13th, 2018 07:00
There should be a sticker on the system indicating the OS shipped with the system (though it won't have a product key on it if it's Windows 8 or 10). If it's not on the bottom of the system, and the battery is removeable, check under the battery.
mfalcon1.
8 Posts
0
September 13th, 2018 07:00
@ejn63
When I bought the laptop I did not find such sticker anywhere, and I came here and I asked Dell support, they told me that it may be there or not, and in all cases the key of windows is in BIOS.
Actually, I am still wondering. Why the tool downloaded an OS that asks for a key? and If my system has no permission to get a windows version, then why they showed me "Windows 8.1 core" as the available version available for my laptop?
ejn63
10 Elder
•
30.7K Posts
0
September 13th, 2018 07:00
Was your system purchased inside or outside the USA -- and from Dell or another source?
mfalcon1.
8 Posts
0
September 13th, 2018 08:00
@ejn63
Outside of US, from a ordinary retailer (no relation to Dell) in a computer mall with 11 months warranty that already ended 2 years ago.
ibace
1 Message
0
October 16th, 2018 02:00
I arrived here after googling this same error issue...I downloaded the Dell OS Recovery Tool, installed it then entered my Service Tag...I was presented with only 1 option; Windows 8.1 Professional-64 Bit which I duly downloaded and then Windows burnt it to my 16 GB Thumbdrive. Downloaded the instructions how to recovery my operating system...installed the Thumbdrive in the target machine...tapped F12 till the 'one time boot' option presented itself, navigated to the Thumbdrive, clicked to boot from USB...and all went well until I was asked to enter a Product Key...WHAT PRODUCT KEY?
There is no product key, no C.O.A. on the PC, and the instructions to use the Recovery tool explicitly do not identify the need to enter a product key...how can you? There is no evidence anywhere on my PC or the paperwork I received when I bought it; that identify a unique key for my PC.
Indeed...Microsoft made a big brouhaha about the fact that the key is embedded in the BIOS from the factory...so how do any of that help me?
IT DOESN'T!!
For those disbelievers....here is a copy/paste of the Microsoft installation instructions;
Using the USB Recovery Media to Install Microsoft Windows
Installing Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows 8.1
Great instructions and advice...now if only it would work!!
mfalcon1.
8 Posts
0
October 16th, 2018 12:00
nyc10036
4 Operator
•
5.6K Posts
0
October 16th, 2018 18:00
The COA aka product key is indeed embedded on the motherboard.
I bought a used Acer that had its hard drive wiped but originally had Windows 10.
Installed Windows 10 that I had downloaded from Microsoft.
Skipped entering the product key prompt.
Activated Windows 10 after Windows 10 was installed.
Worked.
That is how it is suppose to work.
.
.